Public Food Service Research Articles

Assessment of COVID-19 pandemic impact on guaranteeing food security in local school catering

Abstract Background The Italian National Institute of Statistics (ISTAT) highlights that in 2020 10% of the Italian population could not afford an adequate meal every 2 days. Families with several children were more affected, for these children school meals represented the only access to a healthy diet. The European Commission Farm to Fork Strategy, concerning the COVID-19 pandemic (CP), underlines the need to act to ensure access to a sufficient supply of affordable food for all. In the Province of Trieste (PT) over 90% of pupils eat in school canteens (12,000 meals per day). The aims of the project were to verify the impact of CP on the food security of public school canteens (PSC) and determine any Nutritional Critical Points (NCPs) - Corrective Actions (CAs) to guarantee healthy equity meals for all pupils. Methods The content of Public food procurement and service polices for a healthy diet (PFP) published by the WHO and the Nutrient Analysis Critical Control Points (NACCP) process as indicated by the Ministry of Health were applied. In the first quarter of 2021, all food procurement contracts (n = 6) and all of the school kitchens (n = 45) of PT PSC were verified, the University of Trieste analysed the composition of fresh desserts administered in 7 consecutive weeks. Results The NACCP process showed NCPs on the low quality of afternoon snacks and on the quantitative/qualitative fat profile of fresh desserts, with a content of 69 to 72% of saturated fat, of 5 to 7% of trans fat and of 8 to 12% oxidized fat as a “dual quality” food. CAs were activated to support all PT PSC in reformulating fresh desserts, as well as in aiding the assessment of the food procurement landscape, activating regular monitoring of compliance and designing procurements adherent to PFP. Conclusions Project outcomes highlight the importance of taking action to continuously support PSC in order to ensure healthy and equitable food environments for all and to contribute to building a resilient food system. Key messages Guarantee healthy equity school meals for all pupils by developing on going processes to address the pandemic challenge. Ensure technical assistance to school catering to overcome the impact of COVID–19.

Binge Drinking Among Public Sector Food Service Workers in Brazil: Physical and Psychosocial Demands on Focus.

To investigate occupational risk factors associated with binge drinking (BD) among public sector food service workers in a Brazilian capital. All workers from the Government-backed Economy Restaurant Program (GbERP) in Belo Horizonte city were evaluated. BD was defined as consumption of five or more doses (male) or four or more doses (female) of alcoholic beverages on a single occasion within 30 days. Occupational psychosocial and physical stressors were the main exposure variables; sociodemographic, health, and lifestyle variables were inserted as potential confounding factors. We performed logistic regression. A total of 214 people participated in the study and 30.7% reported BD. Psychosocial (violence and high demands) and ergonomic aspects were associated with the outcome. There was a high prevalence of BD among GbERP workers. Actions are necessary to reduce violence and high strain and consequently BD.

Government Policy for the Procurement of Food from Local Family Farming in Brazilian Public Institutions.

This study aims to explore and compare Brazilian public institutional food services’ characteristics concerning the implementation of the government policy for the procurement of food from family farming (FF) and the opinions of food service managers on the benefits and difficulties of its implementation. We conducted a cross-sectional study employing an online questionnaire. The results were stratified by purchase. The Chi-square and Fisher’s Exact tests were applied. Five hundred forty-one food services’ managers participated in the study. Most claimed to buy food from FF, and this acquisition was more frequent among those working in institutions of municipalities <50,000 inhabitants, and educational and self-managed institutions. Those buying from FF developed more actions to promote healthy and sustainable food. Most recognized that the purchase could boost local farming and the economy and improve the institution’s food. However, the managers believe that the productive capacity of FF, the lack of technical assistance to farmers, production seasonality, and the bureaucratic procurement process hinder this type of purchase. The self-management of food services and the small size of the municipality might be associated with implementing the direct purchase policy from FF, which can contribute to building healthier and more sustainable food systems. However, the lack of public management support and the weak productive fabric may pose an obstacle to its maintenance or dissemination. The strengthening and consolidation of these policies require more significant government investments in productive infrastructure for family farming.

Consumer preferences for the use of an innovative digital menu solution in public food service settings in four European countries

Consumer preferences for the use of an innovative menu solution in public canteen services in the UK, Greece, France, and Denmark were investigated. Participants from both control and test groups were first introduced to the FoodSMART app through a video clip as well as verbal explanations. The control group filled a questionnaire evaluating their preferences for the use of a technical menu solution in public food services straight away, whereas the test group had the opportunity to experience the app adapted to a daily canteen menu in real-time before completing the questionnaire. The data collected was examined in both country-specific and collected manners. Participants in all four countries valued the canteen food quality the most, especially food hygiene, sustainability, safety, and freshness. Their preferences for other features such as app functions, information provision, and ethical issues varied in different countries. The knowledge gained from this study provides valuable lessons for the future design of a food-quality-focused digital menu solution in canteen services adapted to the specific country and population context to promote informed consumer food choices.

Sustainability Transitions in University Food Service—A Living Lab Approach of Locavore Meal Planning and Procurement

Due to its purchasing power, the public food service sector is viewed as a potential transformative driver towards sustainable food systems. Organic meal planning and regional procurement may be a vital implementation strategy towards Planetary Health Diets in the communal catering arena. Capable of unleashing desirable synergies within local foodsheds, this transition pathway can potentially benefit all stages of the value chain, while also positively influencing consumer dietary behavior. Transformation, however, poses complex challenges to caterers, as it demands a shift in mindset regarding the philosophy, organization, and management of cafeteria systems as well as the need for affordable and aggregated supplies of source-identified local organic foods. This action research case study engaged the public caterer of a German University, undergraduate students, and additional stakeholders in a Living Lab to develop a weekly farm-to-table cafeteria menu, including its actual preparation, based on a conceptual sustainability standard. Hence, through an iterative process, involving two feedback cycles, an ambitious set of nutritional and procurement criteria were devised, inspired by the external input from exemplary practitioners in the field of green cuisine and procurement. The resulting meal plan was then subjected to an evaluation vis-á-vis its compliance with (1) dietary recommendations, (2) seasonality, (3) organic certification, (4) a defined foodshed boundary, (5) budget neutrality, and (6) life cycle assessment.

Sustainability Transitions in University Food Service—A Living Lab Approach of Locavore Meal Planning and Procurement

Due to its purchasing power, the public food service sector is viewed as a potential transformative driver towards sustainable food systems. Organic meal planning and regional procurement may be a vital implementation strategy towards Planetary Health Diets in the communal catering arena. Capable of unleashing desirable synergies within local foodsheds, this transition pathway can potentially benefit all stages of the value chain, while also positively influencing consumer dietary behavior. Transformation, however, poses complex challenges to caterers, as it demands a shift in mindset regarding the philosophy, organization, and management of cafeteria systems as well as the need for affordable and aggregated supplies of source-identified local organic foods. This action research case study engaged the public caterer of a German University, undergraduate students, and additional stakeholders in a Living Lab to develop a weekly farm-to-table cafeteria menu, including its actual preparation, based on a conceptual sustainability standard. Hence, through an iterative process, involving two feedback cycles, an ambitious set of nutritional and procurement criteria were devised, inspired by the external input from exemplary practitioners in the field of green cuisine and procurement. The resulting meal plan was then subjected to an evaluation vis-a-vis its compliance with (1) dietary recommendations, (2) seasonality, (3) organic certification, (4) a defined foodshed boundary, (5) budget neutrality, and (6) life cycle assessment.

Amount of salt (sodium chloride) per capita used in a Public Hospital Food Service in Natal, RN, Brazil

During 31 days, this study determined and evaluated the amount of salt (sodium chloride) per capita used in the preparation of the lunch meals in a public hospital food service in the City of Natal, RN, Brazil. The quantification of the salt was done through the weighing of the salt container in the beginning and at the end of lunch preparation. After that, the total amount found on each day was divided by the number of meals (750), and then the per capita amounts were compared to the maximum intake recomentation (5 g/day), and the maximum amount of salt estimated to be used for preparing lunch (2.5 g/day) in the food service studied, considering that this meal is planned to provide diners 50% of their caloric needs, even though the amount of salt used in the preparation of a meal does not necessarily represents the salt ingested, and plate waste should be considered as a modifying factor to salt intake. The results showed the per capita amounts of salt used for cooking lunch varied from 1.33 g to 5.87 g, and the average for the 31 days was 3.11 g. Only 14 days (45%) were under the limit line established for lunch. The lowest and highest results could be associated to cooking techniques and ingredients required in the menu. The findings of this study are important since they provide support to the implantation of a control system for the distribution of salt from the storeroom to the kitchen, as well as data to elaborate guiding material to food handlers, and also campaign material that can be used to sensitize both the food service team and dinners (employees, patients and patient companions) about the use and consumption of salt, helping to decrease the health risks associated to a high-sodium diet.

Food handling practices and associated factors among food handlers working in public food and drink service establishments in Woldia town, Northeast Ethiopia.

Introductionfoodborne disease (FBD) is a major public health problem globally. Inadequate food workers' knowledge, attitude, and low level of food handling practices (FHPs) may all contribute to the possibility of FBD outbreaks in public food service establishments. This study aimed to assess FHPs and associated factors among food handlers working in public food and drink service establishments in Woldia town, Northeast Ethiopia.Methodsan institutional-based cross-sectional study was conducted from 01 to 29, January 2017. A total of 288 food handlers were recruited through a simple random selection method. A structured interviewer-administered questionnaire and observation checklists were used to collect the respondents' socio-demographic characteristics, knowledge status on FHPs, and food handling working practices data. Descriptive statistics, bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis were employed using SPSS version 20 software. Those variables with a p< 0.05 were considered statistically significant.Resultsout of 288 participants, 91.7% were female, and 82.3% were single, while 69.8% were literate. One hundred eighty-four (63.9%) of them were under 15-25 years of age, with a median age of 23.3 years. The proportion of good FHP was (n=134, 46.5%) (95% CI: 41.00-52.4%). Advanced age (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) =12.01, 95% CI: 1.96-73.52), education (participants who attend grades 7-12 (AOR=2.33, 95% CI: 1.14-4.79), and above secondary education (AOR=2.29, 95% CI: 1.05-4.61), work experience above six years (AOR=2.43, 95% CI: 2.08-3.17), received formal training (AOR=1.79, 95% CI: 1.68-4.71), and inspection visits by a concerned body (AOR=2.24, 95% CI: 1.05-3.09) were factors positively associated with handling practices.Conclusionthe study revealed that FHP in the study area was low. Age, education, service year, training received and sanitary inspection visits by the regulatory personnel were factors significantly associated with FHPs. This finding highlights the importance of employing regular sanitary inspection visits to public food service establishments by the concerned authority to ensure that all food handlers have the knowledge and the skill to provide safe food.

Consumer Interest and Preferred Formats for Disclosure of Restaurant Inspection Results, Minnesota 2019

In recent years, numerous state and local health departments have developed systems to disclose restaurant inspection results to consumers. Public disclosure of restaurant inspection results can reduce transmission of foodborne illness by driving improvements in sanitary conditions. In Minnesota, restaurant inspection results are not readily accessible for consumers to use to make decisions about where to eat. The objective of this study was to assess the consumer interest among Minnesota adults in having better access to restaurant inspection results and to identify preferred formats for disseminating this information. We conducted a survey among 1,188 Minnesota residents aged 18 years or older at the 2019 Minnesota State Fair. Overall, 94.4% of respondents wanted better access to restaurants' inspection information. More than three-quarters (77.1%) of respondents stated that they would use this information to decide where to eat. Respondents wanted to see inspection results online (71.6%) and at restaurants (62.1%). Increasing public access to inspection results could reinforce efforts by public health agencies and food service operators to improve the safety of foods prepared away from home.

Process contaminants in battered and breaded foods prepared at public food service establishments

Acrylamide is a process contaminant already regulated in Europe whereas the toxicological effects of certain heat-induced furan derivatives such as hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) and furfural are still under revision. Acrylamide, HMF and furfural content were evaluated in 113 coated fried foods provided by food services (restaurants and school canteens). Sampling included battered and breaded foods intended for frying and were grouped according to meat-products (ham & cheese, chicken nuggets), fish-products (fish sticks, fish fillets), seafood (squid rings), vegetables (onion rings), and doughs (croquettes). Acrylamide ranged between 23.8 and 130.4 μg/kg, HMF between 0.11 and 16.07 mg/kg, and furfural between 0.01 and 1.04 mg/kg. Presence of these compounds was mostly restricted to the outer part of foods (coating material), since browning reactions are sped up in the crust. Onion rings showed a significantly higher concentration than the other samples being studied. Home-style (freshly made) chicken nuggets exhibited significantly lower acrylamide content than frozen par-fried nuggets from an industrial source. This finding suggests that increasing the complexity of the formulation of the coating through the introduction of ingredients or additives aimed at improving palatability might lead to the development of heat induced process contaminants. As a consequence, the increase of harmful compounds during thermal treatment of coated food should be carefully considered during the industrial formulation of coatings. Although the recent Regulation 2017/2158 for acrylamide does not mention specific values or mitigation strategies for coated foods, its contribution to daily acrylamide exposure within the population must not be dismissed. This study involves the first systematic prospective evaluation of process contaminants in real operative conditions at food services in Spain.

Aspects regarding Food Safety and Consumer Protection on the Market of Public Food Services

Aspects regarding Food Safety and Consumer Protection on the Market of Public Food Services

Acrylamide in French fries prepared at primary school canteens.

Children are one of the most exposed groups to dietary acrylamide with 'potato fried products' that account for up to half the total exposure to this contaminant. Acrylamide was measured in French fries prepared in 31 primary school canteens randomly recruited from different Spanish regions. The mean content was 329 μg kg-1 (from <20 to 4000 μg kg-1). French fries prepared from frozen par-fried potatoes reported a lower acrylamide content than those from fresh potatoes, 229 and 460 μg kg-1, respectively. Only 15.7% of samples were above the benchmark levels established by the EU Regulation 2017/2158 (500 μg kg-1). Significant differences were found according to the color of toasted (2274 μg kg-1), dark-golden (463 μg kg-1), golden (134 μg kg-1) and light-golden (52 μg kg-1) French fries. All the samples that were golden and light-golden showed acrylamide content below the threshold. The chromatic parameter a* was used as a rough classification of the French fries according to the benchmark level. Both educational initiatives intended for food operators and managerial-technical criteria that include the code of frying practices at public food service establishments should consider the golden color as the target for the end-point of frying. Acrylamide exposure will be reduced and, therefore, the risk linked to French fries consumption. This fact is especially relevant in establishments that prepare food for schoolchildren and would help to provide healthier diets, not only from a nutritional point of view but also from the reduction of chemical contaminants.

Resident-Initiated Smoking Ban Surveillance: Text Mining of Shanghai Public Service Hotline Data

Background: On March 1st, 2017, the Amendment of Regulations of Shanghai Municipality on Smoking Control in Public Places was formalized in Shanghai. Since then, this comprehensive smoke-free law prohibits smoking in indoor public places, workplaces, and public transport. To reinforce this law, the 12345 platform was introduced as an avenue for residents to report smoking violations. Methods: Throughout March 2017, the hotline back-end server had logged a total of 6,937 telephone text records. All records were collected, and text data were analyzed by natural language processing. The analysis of text data has gone through several steps, namely data masking, missing data deletion, data deduplication and No Dictionary Cutting Word arithmetic. Furthermore, we established a keyword corpus and a MySQL database for our research. Findings: Compared to the average monthly call sheets (1655 call sheets) between 2016 and 2018, the call sheets established in March 2017 alone was as high as 6,927. Residents were more willing to call the hotline for complaining and consulting in the month after the comprehensive smoking ban was enacted. The locations of the smoking violation reported mainly concentrated in the public workplace, food services, leisure industry, and hotels. Interpretation: The promulgate of the Amendment of Regulations of Shanghai Municipality on Smoking Control in Public Places has successfully garnered the attention and participation of the public. Nevertheless, further effort in strengthening the implementation and enforcement by relevant tobacco control agencies is still needed. Targeted management strategy, a pivotal future research direction, is needed to enforce the smoking band in the most reported location. Funding: This project was supported by National Social Science Fund of China (Grant No. 17BSH056). Declaration of Interest: All authors have no conflicts of interest on this study. Ethical Approval:The primary data in this study was provided by the department of shanghai health hotline. At the same time, the study was approved by the department of shanghai health hotline. In this study, subjects' identities were concealed, i.e. anonymous. For protecting the participants’ confidentiality and privacy, this study did not collect the caller’s personal information.

GESTÃO DE CUSTOS NO SERVIÇO PÚBLICO: PROPOSTA DE METODOLOGIA PARA ANÁLISE E CONTROLE EM UNIDADES DE ALIMENTAÇÃO E NUTRIÇÃO

Introdução: A contabilidade de custos é uma etapa importante na gestão pública para otimizar os gastos e diminuir desperdícios, representando um indicador de eficiência econômica. Contudo, é uma atividade complexa, onde a maioria dos custos é de difícil obtenção, especialmente em Unidades de alimentação e nutrição (UANs), devido à variação no número de refeições e matéria prima, e indisponibilidade de custos indiretos individualizados. Objetivo: Apresentar uma proposta metodológica para cálculo do custo-refeição em UANs vinculadas a serviços públicos. Método: Esta proposta surgiu de um estudo prático realizado no restaurante da Escola Agrícola de Jundiaí/UFRN. Para a composição do custo-refeição foram observados os componentes dos custos diretos e indiretos. Os preços unitários por material/serviço foram obtidos por meio das atas de licitações e contratos. Resultados: A análise individual de cada componente permitiu verificar a necessidade de estabelecer diretrizes para os custos, obtendo-se os seguintes direcionamentos: gêneros de alimentação – elaboração das fichas técnicas de preparação de, no mínimo, dois cardápios semanais completos e preços por gênero calculados por média ponderada; material de limpeza, telefonia, gás de cozinha e água mineral - análise do gasto trimestral; energia elétrica – análise da potência, tempo e horário de funcionamento de cada equipamento e cálculo do gasto de energia conforme tarifas na “ponta” e “fora da ponta”; despesas com manutenção de equipamentos e instalações, material de expediente e descartável – análise semestral e, todos os cálculos efetuados utilizando a média mensal. Por fim, a partir do custo com gêneros alimentícios foram calculados os pesos de cada refeição e gerada a unidade-refeição, obtendo-se o custo final por meio da soma do custo de cada refeição com o produto de seu peso vezes a unidade-refeição. Conclusões: A presente proposta apresenta uma perspectiva prática e fidedigna para o cálculo de custo-refeição.

A set of key performance indicators (KPI) in public food service

A set of key performance indicators (KPI) in public food service

Salmonella group D- outbreak in Iasi, Romania between 14–18 of May 2018

Purpose: We present an outbreak of Gastroenterocolitis with Salmonella group D after the consumption of mayonnaises from a public foodservice in the second half of May. Methods & Materials: We analyzed the patient data and the medical history of each patient admitted in the “Sf. Parascheva” Infectious Diseases Hospital from Iasi, Romania and also followed the evolution of the outpatients which came in the triage room. Also we collaborated with the Public Health Department for the epidemiological survey Results: A total of 134 patients presented to our hospital between 14 and 18 of may 2018, and 96 of those wore admitted. After the epidemiological survey conducted by Public Health Department we found out that the incubation period vary from 8 hours to 24 hours. All patients declared the consumption of fast food that contained mayonnaises on 14/06/2018 from a public foodservice. First case was admitted after 9 house after the consumption and the biggest number of presentations and admittances was after 2 days, on the 16th of may (42 presentations and 35 admittances). After this date the number begun to gradually decrease. Patients that required hospitalization presented, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting (over 6 episodes per day), diarrhea (over 12 episodes per day) associated in some cases with fever. From the laboratory data we extracted that the patients had minor fluid and electrolyte imbalance associated in the majority of cases with minor dehydration syndrome. For the complete diagnosis we analyzed the stool sample and the liquid from the emesis. All of the results came positive for Salmonella Group D. The evolution of all cases was good and the average hospitalisation time was 6 days with a maximum of 10 days. Conclusion: In the warm time, the inadequate storage of the food can start an outbreak that can affect a whole city. A good communication between Public Health Department and hospital is very important for a complete and correct analysis of the magnitude of the outbreak. It is crucial for the public food places to respect the standards for depositing their food especially in the summer time.

Temporary Food Handlers’ Compliance with Effective Food-Hygiene Practices

Success in food handling depends, in part, on a self-regulation practice factor that accounts for better results in food safety. A self-report study conducted on 318 food handlers reveal that temporary workers were able to comply with the overall hygiene practices outlined in the 1983 Malaysian Food Act and the 2009 Food Hygiene Regulations. This study also shows that proper training of these workers could result in high-level hygiene practices at public food service institutions that would satisfy the community’s appetite for safe and healthy food. Keywords: Hygiene practices; temporary workers; food handlers; community healtheISSN 2398-4295 © 2018. The Authors. Published for AMER ABRA cE-Bs by e-International Publishing House, Ltd., UK. This is an open-access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Peer–review under responsibility of AMER (Association of Malaysian Environment-Behaviour Researchers), ABRA (Association of Behavioural Researchers on Asians) and cE-Bs (Centre for Environment-Behaviour Studies), Faculty of Architecture, Planning &amp; Surveying, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia

What is Offered by Public Foodservices for Low Income Population in Brazil is Adequate to Health Promotion Regarding Energy Density

ABSTRACTWe evaluated the energy density (ED) of the preparations offered at community restaurants (CRs). 723 preparations offered 37 CRs were analyzed. Technical Preparation File (TPF) was compiled and the nutritional composition was calculated. The components of the menus were classified according to: very low ED (33.1%), low ED (41.2%), medium ED (23.5%) and high ED (2.2%). Many of these dishes were classified as low ED (rice - 56.4% and beans - 97.2%) and so its use probably doesn’t contribute to the overweight framework of the CR consumers. The main course (meat preparations) showed the largest EDs, most of them being classified as medium ED (1.85 to 2.43Kcal/g). The appetizers, as expected, showed the lowest EDs (0.01 to 0.4). The EDs of the menus offered in Brazilian CRs are appropriate to the objective of this type of restaurant, characterized by fulfilling a singular social role in serving its clients.

Identifying feasible ways for cafeteria operators to comply with calorie and sodium nutrition standards in hospitals

Implementing nutrition standards for foods sold in public food service venues such as hospitals is a public health strategy to improve diet quality and prevent chronic diseases for employees and visitors. However, no studies have examined the nutrition quality of foods offered in hospitals implementing Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA) Hospital Healthier Food Imitative (HHFI) nutrition standards. To aid food service venues trying to implement similar requirements, study objectives were to 1) examine the percentage of entrees and sides meeting PHA HHFI calorie and sodium standards and 2) identify the food categories that most often met the standards. We used data on two days (i.e., breakfast, lunch, and dinner) of cafeteria entrée and side offerings from 63 U.S. based hospitals that participated in PHA HHFI during 2012–2013. We calculated 1) percentage of entrees and side dishes that met HHFI calorie and sodium standards both overall and by hospital and food category and 2) rank food entrée and side categories with the highest of percentage of items meeting these requirements. A total of 3,975 entrees and 13,541 sides were identified as reported by cafeteria managers or nutritionists; 85% of entrees and 77% of sides met calorie requirements of &lt;525 kcal and ≤175 kcal, respectively. A total of 56% of entrees and 75% of sides met sodium requirements of &lt;600 mg and ≤200 mg, respectively. For entrees, the range that met the calorie requirements at each hospital was 52%–100% (median=88%) and 22%–86% (median=54%) for sodium. The range of sides that met calorie requirements at each hospital was 42%–93% (median=74%) and 25%–85% (median=75%) for sodium. Food categories with the highest percentage of entrees meeting calorie requirements were dairy protein combinations with fruits or grain (e.g., yogurt cups with granola and fruits), chicken or turkey based entrees, and breakfast omelets; and for sides were fruits, vegetable dishes, and yogurts. The categories with the highest percentage of entrees that did not meet the calorie requirement were pizza and Mexican entrees, and for sides were pancakes/waffles and cookies/pastries. The top three food categories meeting sodium requirements for entrees were hot/cold cereal, fish dishes, and dairy protein combo with fruits or grain; and for sides were fruits, yogurt, frozen dairy items. For sodium, top categories that did not meet the requirements for entrees were pizza, chicken entrée, and soups, and for sides were Asian dishes, stew or soup, and pancake or waffles. These findings can help inform the development of strategies to aid food service venues in understanding the landscape of food offerings and help them successfully implement nutrition standards.

Food Handling Practices and Associated Factors among Food Handlers in Arba Minch Town Public Food Establishments in Gamo Gofa Zone, Southern Ethiopia

Background: Food borne diseases are common in developing countries including Ethiopia because of the prevailing poor food handling and sanitation Practices. Food handlers play an important role in ensuring food safety throughout the chain of production, processing, storage and preparation. Objective: To assess food handling practices and associated factors among food handlers in Arba Minch town Public food establishments in 2015. Methods: A facility based cross sectional study was employed on 383 food handlers who work in selected 42 public food Service establishments. Data was collected from each food handler’s by direct interviewing and observation of their personal hygiene. Binary logistic regression and multivariable logistic regression analysis was conducted. The strength of the association was measured by Adjusted odds ratio with 95% confidence level, and pvalue <0.05 will be considered statistically significant. Result: Among 383 respondents 125 (32.6) has good practice and 258 (67.40%) have poor practice towards food sanitation. From all interviewed food hander 150 (39.2%) were clean gown, 109 (28.5%) wear head cover, 352 (91.9%) has short finger nail and 135 (35.2%). Food hander whose age greater than 29-34 and ≥ 35 years AOR 3.457 (1.63, 7.35), 3.454 (1.78, 6.69) respectively, having supervisor AOR 13.095 (1.71, 100.49), and medical cheek up AOR 4.81 (2.16, 10.73), those who take training on food sanitation in the past 10.27 (2.34-14.78) were the identified significant factors associated with food handlers practice. Conclusions: The current study reveals that relatively low good practice of food handling practice was observed. Relatively low practice was observed in wearing clean gown and head cover, shorting of finger nails and medical screening. Continues sanitary inspection should be performed regularly on food handler’s general personal hygiene practice and on environmental sanitation of food establishment. In addition recruiting supportive supervisor training, medical screening and cheek up is mandatory for food handlers to improve their practice in food sanitation.